This disclosure relates to relieving stress in a flexure.
As shown in FIG. 1, a linear moving magnet motor 10, such as the LM series of motors manufactured by Bose Corporation of Framingham, Mass., includes flexures 12 and 14 that support a moving magnet 16 between coils 18. The flexures 12 and 14 are attached to a frame 11 that supports the coils 18 and includes a core portion 13. As the motor 10 moves the magnet 16 in and out (arrow 20) along the x-axis 22, the flexures 12 and 14 restore the magnet toward its neutral position and prevent it from moving in the directions of the y-axis 24 or z-axis 26. The flexures shown in FIG. 1 are generally a U-shaped sheet having a simple curve at the corners of the U-shaped sheet. During operation of the linear motor, repeated bending of the flexure sometimes leads to a fatigue failure in the vicinity of one of the corners of the flexure.